Mother Day - Sue Webb

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TRANSCRIPT

 

Hey, welcome to The Centre podcast. We're a church based in Dural, Sydney, who loves Jesus. And so want to make him the center of our lives, community and world. We pray that you, blessed by this word and that it reveals God's love for you in a new way.

I'd like to start by saying Happy Mother's Day to all the mums. I hope you have a lovely time and gets a chance to spend time with your family today.

And just have a special day knowing that you are cherished and that you are loved. It's a privilege to speak today, and I'm going to speak about the love of mother. I'm going to speak about God and and response. So being Mothers Day, we're going to start with some qualities of a mum. So when I started thinking about these, some of the things that came to my mind were sacrificial, kind, helpful, warm, encourager, safe, gentle, nurturing, feeder, non-judgmental.

Someone who's got your back, protector and helper. And there's a whole lot more things I could come up with and words to describe in them, but they're the first things that really came to mind. And the very first one which really stood out to me is sacrificial. And I think the role of a mother, being a mum is a very sacrificial role is that by sacrificing your body in your sleep, then your desires, your time, you schedule a whole lot of things, your heart.

And one thing I wasn't prepared for was as your children get older and they fly the nest, that there's a whole grieving process to grieve. Your babies, your little ones, the moments, the times that are gone and to grieve that time of having them living at home with you. So I wonder what your experience all day that can't wait for everyone else that is me.

I wonder what your experience as a mum has been. I wonder if you can relate to the list of words that I have read out, or yours is quite different. Or maybe you have other words that you would like to add to that list. Was your mother loving and nurturing? We all need this special love and nurture as a mum, and that is why God created us the way he did.

We are born vulnerable. We need a very special love, protection and nurture to survive and grow. I remember my father, though always spoke very highly of his mum, and I trust that many of us here today have had that very special experience of a warm and loving mum, just as he did. My mum is very warm, loving, encouraging and sacrificial.

She also likes to have a lot of fun and life. Growing up was not to be taken too seriously for me. Growing up, I knew that I was deeply loved, not because of anything that I did, just because I am me and I am hers.

Growing up, I was very close to my mum also, and even as a teenager I described her as one of my best friends. So I think it's a little bit unusual for that teenage years. Yes, my mum and I are very similar in a lot of ways. One thing about my mum is that when you walk into her house, you smell the aroma of freshly baked cakes or biscuits or dessert or dinner cooking.

The house always smells of something yummy. She likes to cook and she likes to feed her guests. It's a little bit tricky as a daughter trying to get some family recipes from mum, as she often just cooks by sight. She's always in a bit of this bit of that until it looks like this. So it's very hard to get actual measurements from her to be able to have a recipe that I can cook, and if she does have a recipe she doesn't measure and she often substitutes things anyway, so even a recipe can be unhelpful.

But yes, always lovely to walk into her house and smell that beautiful smell. I'm very grateful for my mum and her loving heart she has for my siblings and myself and for other people around her. And I think it's so good to be grateful to God and to express our gratefulness, especially on a day like today for our mums or our mother like figures that we have in our life.

A mum may not be the only one to love like this. Sometimes we are fortunate to experience this kind of love from a grandmother, a sister or some other relative or close friend. I'm wondering if you've ever experienced this kind of loving kindness from a complete stranger, or or even somebody that you may consider an enemy? How awesome would this world be if that was common experience?

I know apart from family I have some very special friends. They are very kind to me, and it was particularly important when cam and I moved our family from Melbourne to Sydney. We knew that we would need some special friends that would help fill the gaps of not having our family close by, and in God's goodness. He has provided a number of very special friends here in Sydney that are like family to us.

We each only have one mum and the experience of her. It shapes us and it stays with us for life. We may not all have experienced the loving, nurturing mother. However, we do all crave this love, acceptance, nurture and care that is received not from our mum. We need to receive it from someone else needs to come from somewhere else in life.

However, we cannot choose and we cannot make others treat us with this kind of love that we all need and desire. However, every single one of us can choose to love others and treat others in this way. We can choose to be that kind, caring, nurturing, encouraging person in someone else's life and the way we treat others can stay with them for life.

Is it your desire to treat others with this special sacrificial love? Is it something you naturally usually do, or does it depend on what made you join? How you've been treated yourself? Does it affect your kindness? If you've been treated poorly or unfairly, or even deliberately mistreated by another? In one way, it's quite simple to act in love towards another, but in other ways it's not always easy.

We can, like, make loving others more of a priority and a natural instinct in this fast paced, hectic world. Can we do that? Especially when we're not feeling it, or when we have 100 things to do? Maybe life is too busy to really take the time to care for others. You may be in a season at the moment when you don't have the space or time to create, to do more of that than you are currently doing, but you may.

And if you do, this is definitely something to consider. Do you have other obstacles that are holding you back, or getting in the way of loving others more completely? We may have the desire, but what can we do to increase this practical love of others? One way is learning from others around us. We can. It can be a good way to improve our love in action for others.

We can look at people around us who have these qualities and learn from them. I would like to call myself a bit of a people watcher. I like to watch people. I find it fascinating, but I also like to learn from others. When I see things in people's life that I would like to have in my life, or that I could follow or copy to improve myself, I watch carefully.

Sometimes I ask questions so that I may improve myself and be better.

We can spend time with people who are loving so that we can learn from them and become more like them. We naturally become more like the people that we surround ourselves with. So choosing our friends and the people that we hang out with carefully. So will you. Encouraged and inspired to become better is another way we can do this.

Prayer is another way we can ask God to show us how to be more loving towards others. We can pray that God will help us and show us areas in our own life where we may be lacking. If you are really game, you could ask your spouse, your parent, brother or sister or close friend for input on areas where you may be lacking.

I'm sure they would love the opportunity to help you grow. I have to admit, I'm not overly keen on doing this myself. I don't think I'd like the response. However, in saying that, I'm also aware of how gentle and kindly God shows me my weaknesses. I would much rather ask God and have him show me the areas that I need to improve, than ask somebody else.

Have you experienced the gentleness of God as he touches the areas in your life that are not what they should be? I certainly have another really handy way to see your own weakness is to take notice of what you find really annoying in other people. This kind of acts like a mirror. The things that we find the most irritating in others are often traits that we have in ourselves, but unaware of them.

I had a little giggle to myself last weekend. Cam and I were walking with our suitcases behind us to the airport terminal. I was completely unaware of a man behind me zigzagging back and forth across the path as he was trying to walk past me. But he was not able to because obviously I didn't leave him enough room.

I know I find it really irritating if I'm trying to get somewhere, and someone has positioned themselves in such a way that I cannot pass if I'm in a hurry. I cannot pass people that are dawdling or taking up most of the pass path, and are unaware of people around them. I find it annoying, which is exactly what I was doing.

Maybe not dawdling, but going slower than this man was wanting to go. Fortunately, cam was with me and he had noticed this man and he gently pulled me aside so the man could pass. Another great way is to read the Bible. God's word is very powerful. Isaiah 5510 tells us, as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return without watching the earth and making it bad, and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater.

So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Let me just repeat some of that. So is my word that goes out from my mouth. It will not return to me. Empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

God's word is powerful. It will accomplish God's desire and his purpose. So reading God's Word, memorizing scripture, immersing ourselves in the Scripture will change our lives. We need the Bible. We need God's Word. And reading and memorizing scriptures is a great way to influence and transform our lives, so that we may be the active, physical hands of God to one another.

As Christians, we are God's children, and therefore, the more time we spend with God, the more time, the more so we will reflect his character. God's word transforms us. I remember years ago, this one time when cam and I were having a disagreement. I had gotten to the point where my emotions were getting the better of me, and I just wanted to let loose and let him have it.

But can anyone relate to that anyway? But I also didn't want to say something hurtful or something that I would regret once my emotions had settled. I can picture standing in the hallway of the house we lived in at the time, and I don't remember what the discussion was about, but I remember feeling really angry, and I remember that I wanted to stop this anger before I exploded, and I decided to speak scriptures in my head to myself.

And the first scripture I ever learned was the only scripture that came to mind. And it wasn't even relevant to this, to the discussion we were having. But it was painful. It was from John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

And I just kept repeating this to myself over and over. And with each time that I said it, the anger subsided, and then it completely went away. God's word has power in it. When we read it, memorize it, repeat it. It changes us. It requires us. It renews us. God's word is powerful. It will accomplish God's desire and purpose.

God's desire and purpose for his believers, for us as His church is to love one another. God's word instructs us and gives us wisdom. And here are some scriptures that gives us instruction and how we are to treat others. And there are plenty more. I've just grabbed a few. In first Corinthians chapter 16. It tells us to do everything in love.

First Corinthians chapter 13. We all very should be very familiar with this tells us that love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and perseveres. Ephesians four, chapter two instructs us to be completely humble and gentle, to be patient and bearing with one another in love. In first, Peter tells us to be sympathetic towards each other, and Ephesians tells us to be kind and compassionate and forgiving each other. And Titus chapter three instructs us to slander no one to be peaceable and considerate, and always be gentle towards everyone.

Are you feeling inspired by these scriptures? Maybe this seems all too hard and you don't even want to try this easy or not to. It takes more than human power to be this kind of loving person. And fortunately, we don't have to do it on our own or in our own power. As a believer, we are children of God.

We have the Holy Spirit living within us. The Holy Spirit is the one who leads us and guides us and teaches us. He is the one that prompts us to do things that God would have us to. And second Timothy 127 God tells us the spirit gives us power, love, and self-discipline. Have you experienced this power of love and self-discipline from the Holy Spirit's leading?

In my disagreement that I spoke of earlier, it was the Holy Spirit that prompted me to speak scriptures to myself. And as I've been preparing this, I've been thinking that I need to search out and look for the Holy Spirit's leading more in my life. I need to ask for the Spirit's help more often than I have been.

By not seeking the spirit and his leading. We could all be missing out on the good things that God has for us in this life. Would you like to hear the Spirit's prompting more in your life? I started by talking about the love of the mother, and it's very important that we experience this love. Yet there is a far greater love than the love of a mother.

And this love is the love of our father. God, and the love he has for each of us. God loves us, and our response to him is to love him and to love others. God created us for love. The Bible tells us that God is love. And John four nine says, this is how God showed his love amongst us.

He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sin. Friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God. But if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we love in him. This is how we know that we live in Him and He in us. He has given us His Spirit. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us, so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment.

In this world, we are like Jesus, so we need to be obeying God's Word so we can be like Jesus to other people around us. God instructs us to love others. It is something we do out of obedience. To make this possible, God fills us with the power of the Holy Spirit so we can learn from him and be more like him.

Galatians 522 tells us, the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control. When the spirit has freedom in your life and mind, he brings these attributes with him. He transforms those he dwells in to be the same. The Holy Spirit is our encourager, our teacher. He leads us and helps us to be the people God calls us to be, to be humble and loving.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Faithfulness. Goodness. Self-control. Sounds like the perfect mother, doesn't it? Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a perfect mother. But God is perfect. He is our perfect heavenly father. God is more loving, kind, compassionate than any earthly mother could be. God is our heavenly parent and perfect parent. He knows more about us than our mother ever could.

He knows what is good for us better than our mom ever could. God knows what we need and when we need it. And God can fulfill all of our needs. He loves us and desires to be in a loving relationship with us. He calls us to be his own. He adopts us into his family by bringing us to himself through Jesus.

This is what he wanted to do and it gave him great pleasure. It gives God great pleasure to adopt you as his child. You are wanted. You are cherished and you are loved by God. Who wouldn't want this kind of relationship with God to be called a child of God? Just wondering, when was the last time you remember running into God's loving arms?

When was the last time you confessed your love to God or hang out with him? Spend time with your heavenly father. Have you experienced God's gentleness? Have you found rest in him? Do you run to him for a warm embrace or protection when needed? Ask him for all that you need. We don't always have our mom around when we need her.

However, we do all have God around. He never sleeps. He's never on a call or too busy for us. We are his children and he has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is our deposit of what is to come. And the Holy Spirit teaches us and helps us. Sometimes when I'm out alone and feeling vulnerable or in a dangerous situation, I ask God for help.

I imagine he's next to me, and I take his hand in mine and I walk alongside him. He's my protection. He's got my back. And if you were to see me, you would see my hand empty but just clinging. It wouldn't look like I'm actually holding on to anything but spiritually. I'm holding on to God. I am his child.

He has the attributes of a father, which is often mentioned in the Bible. However, God has the attributes of a mother as Genesis 126 says, let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness. And in verse 27. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them, male and female. What attributes of a mother do we see in God the Father?

God is all powerful. He is to be feared. But God is also loving and warm and kind, and he is an ever present help for his children. The same words are used to describe a mother to begin with can also be used to describe God. The Trinity. God is warm, loving. He protects. He is gentle. He provides food for all of our needs.

He is non-judgment to his kind. He is nurturing. Jesus is the sacrificial son. He's got your back. He prays to the father on your behalf. The Holy Spirit is your helper, your encourager, and your teacher. We belong to a kind of church where God is obeyed. And when we actively love one another and strive to live in unity.

Wrap your hand if you would like our church to be even more like that. And yes, you can put your hand up if you would like me to be more like that. Come on, everyone, hands up! We have some very loving people here at church and as a whole congregation. I'm sure we have room for improvement. Well, I know we do, because I'm part of this community, and I know there are times when I can do better.

So let's pray together for God to enable us to love each other as he loves, and to fill us with the Holy Spirit, and to lead and help us into doing this.

Thanks so much for joining us. Don't forget to write and subscribe to help others discover this channel. Check out the description if you want to find out more or get in touch with us at the center. Gerald. But in the meantime, praying for God's hand over you as you continue to step into everything Jesus has in store for your life.

Be blessed.